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Lakeland Lock & Safe moves into downtown storefront, changes name

LAKELAND, Fla.-In order to accommodate its growing residential and commercial security business, Lakeland Lock & Safe has changed its name and moved into a downtown storefront here. Formerly known as Nightshift Lock & Safe, the five-year-old company is expanding its mobile automotive security business to include a full range of security offerings.

Currently, about 20 percent of Lakeland Lock & Safe's business is commercial and residential, with 80 percent still in its original market of automotive security. "We found more people wanted to know where we're located, and you can't say we're located out of our van," says company vice president Barbara Goff.

Goff and her husband, Lakeland Lock & Safe's president Larry Goff, looked for a retail location for more than a year and finally chose the downtown location as central to their service area, which includes Lakeland and Polk County in central Florida.

Because the Goffs' business comes from word of mouth, says Larry Goff, the retail store gives the company more visibility than the van. "It's like having a billboard on the side of the road. People have a sense of security because you are there." Although the store opened in May and is not yet fully stocked, "we've had some very good walk-in days," he adds.

Goff gets his residential and commercial installation know-how from working 15 years as a security installer for other companies. Five years ago, when he wanted to start his own business, Goff found a niche in after hours automotive security. "Not a lot of people want to work nights and weekends," he says.

Goff insists that the automotive portion of the business will not be phased out, and he continues to operate that side of the business as Nightshift Lock and Safe. However, the residential and commercial security side of the business operates as Lakeland Lock & Safe. The combined companies operate with five employees.

In addition to installing a variety of residential and commercial security systems, the company specializes in lock repair. Barbara Goff notes that "the 'smith' in the word 'locksmith' means we have the knowledge to repair as well as replace. Quite a few people call with ancient locks they want repaired."